my son sean, passing out parade
Published: Sunday, April 29th 2007
I SHALL BE RETURNING TO AMERICA IN AROUND 9 WEEKS, AND VISITING NEW YORK AND ATLANTA.
PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET ME WHILST I AM IN NEW YORK OR ATLANTA.
des@desmerrionbespoketailor.com
I have been very busy of late, so I am a little late with this post.
My eldest son, Sean passed out with the Parachute Regiment in March this year, one week after passing 'P' Company.
He has been posted to the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment based in Colchester. He is doing his 'jumps' this week at RAF Brize Norton.
Picture below shows Sean along with other recruits marching off the Parade Square, he is the one dead middle of the picture.
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smith woolens, unwoven selvedge
Published: Wednesday, February 14th 2007
I am returning to New York and Atlanta in around 6 weeks. I also intend to visit America every 6 to 8 weeks. Please email me if you would like to meet me whilst I am in New York or Atlanta.
It always puzzles me every time I use Smith Woolens fabrics. The cloth is very good quality, but never has a woven selvedge.
The picture below shows two suit lengths I have recently had from Smiths.
You can see the unwoven selvedge, it is not detrimental to the cloth quality but unwoven edges are normally associated with lesser quality fabrics, not top end cloths like Smiths.
The picture below shows for comparison half a dozen suit lengths from my favourite cloth merchants in Yorkshire.
All the fabrics have a nice woven selvedge, it's only cosmetic but they just look better quality.
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well done sean, passed p. company today
Published: Tuesday, February 13th 2007
My eldest son Sean, has today passed P' Company for the Parachute Regiment.
Both my wife ( Julie ) and I would like to congratulate Sean on passing what is an extremely arduous course. We are extremely proud of you Sean, we knew you could do it, well done!!
For those unaware of P' Company, the Parachute Regiment is one of THE premiere military units in the world, so the standards are high, very high.
To pass the course, is by no means an easy feat.
Click this link, have a look. P' Company.
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dates for new york and atlanta
Published: Sunday, January 7th 2007
I have the dates for my return to New York and Atlanta. They are as follows:-
I SHALL BE IN NEW YORK ON SATURDAY THE 27th JANUARY FROM 4pm, SUNDAY 28th ALL DAY, AND MONDAY 29th JANUARY UNTIL 12pm. I AM STAYING AT THE HOTEL BENJAMIN.
I SHALL BE IN ATLANTA ON TUESDAY THE 30th JANUARY, ALL DAY, WEDNESDAY 31st JANUARY UNTIL 12PM. I AM STAYING AT THE DOUBLETREE, BUCKHEAD.
Please email me if you would like an appointment to see me whilst I am in New York or Atlanta.
I can be contacted on my mobile/cell while I am in the USA.
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the 'hip flask walk'
Published: Monday, January 1st 2007
I am returning to New York in January and also visiting Atlanta, USA. Please email me if you would like to meet me whilst I am in the USA.
I am visiting London on the 11th January. I am not using the fitting rooms of Scabal, I want to be able to offer local fabrics. Please email me if you would like to meet me whilst I am in London.
Well, the Hip Flask Walking Club had it's annual trek around the Peak District in Yorkshire on the 28th December.
Normally, there is myself and my youngest son, Thomas, but this year we were joined by my other two sons, Sean and James also. I was really looking forward to the day because of this, and partly because I have been so busy lately.
I did the usual, preparing everything Thomas and I required the night before the walk. Change of trousers, socks, t shirt, water, sandwiches etc etc. Sean was 'tagging' along with our bag, so I sorted his kit also..... James was going to do his own!
It's an early start as we always take the train from Doncaster to Sheffield, and then from Sheffield to Grindleford where the walk starts. Taking the train is one of the beauties of this walk, no-one drives, so everyone can have a drink or two.
I hate to be late with anything, I have always been the same, even as a child it would drive me nuts to agree to meet friends who would then be late wasting my time!
The walk to the station from home is about 20 minutes. The train goes at 0842 and we set off at 0810 so we have plenty of time, so I thought, I forgot we had James! We were barely up the street and James was straggling. James then turned around to go and change the batteries in his walkman, I was shouting him to get a move on. James appears again, I tell him to get his arse up here, now, run! Sean runs ahead of us to call at the local shop, Sean appears and catches us up, I turn around no James, he's in the bloody shop holding us up again! My language is blue at the best of times, when James appears sauntering along, I could have exploded right there! I also realise, James has nothing with him, no change of clothes, no food or water. This is going to be an interesting walk for him.
We have to get a right 'dab on' now to get the train, then, as we walk over the bridge to the railway station, James then tells me he has no money! We finally arrive at the station and this is going to be a close call, very close. I sort Thomas and I tickets, Sean gets his own, I give James money to get his. I shout to James, "return ticket from Hope" 3 times, "yes" James says. James doesn't leave the counter, talking to the ticket guy, I go over to check he's got the correct ticket. What a suprise, wrong ticket! We sort the tickets and make a run for the train, somone shouts "platform 2", I don't remember catching the train for this walk on platform 2, ever, but we carry on. Stood on platform 2, i'm now saying "we don't get the train from here", as I turn to see the trans pennine train we need standing on the other side of the station! It's now a full on sprint to catch it, as we run like mad down the stairs, along the bloody tunnel, up the stairs, just in time to see it pull out!!
I have never missed this train or any other train, ever, i'm fuming now!
This is a right balls up now, we will miss the connection at Sheffield to Grindleford and the walk is 'one way', there is just no easy place to join it without missing half the walk.
Any way, we get the next train from Doncaster to Sheffield. Yep, the next train is 1 hour, no point trying the buses, they take us to the wrong place. We will now have to get a taxi.
We set off by taxi. There is no way we are missing any of this walk, I get the taxi to drop us off at the top of Padely Gorge, £15 for the fare, instead of £2.50 on the train. The walk starts at the bottom of the Gorge and heads up to where we are now, it will be impossible to miss my mates heading up. We get a pace on walking down the Gorge, as the others that got the train to Grindleford have about 15-20 minutes on us. We get almost half way down, James is lathered in his trendy white trainers and moaning like mad, who cares, we are laughing like mad at him, this walk is about 10/12 miles, over moors, no turning back now!
If like magic, my very good pal John Heggie appears along with Alan, a fella' i've met a couple of times, we've done it, met up finally!
Meeting John half way down, we've missed nothing in distance off the walk. This is important, my mates would needle me like mad if I take one step less than them.
We now turn around and head back up the Gorge to have the first 'heart starter' of the walk. We stop, and wait for everyone that was behind John to catch up. It was great to see some old mates I have not seen since last years walk, you always pick up like it was yesterday. There were about 18 walkers in total this year, and some others that did not walk but met us at the pub later. We gave in later and let James share our food and drink. We made him carry the bag from the lunch stop though. He did nothing but moan, "my shoulders hurt, it's heavy", I am going to have to take him under my wing and sort him out for next year!
The picture below is Sean, Thomas and James, as we head down the Gorge to meet the rest of the walkers that are on the way up. It was very mild this year. Last year it was thick of snow and was brilliant.
The picture below shows us on route to Win Hill, the peak in the distance. This is about half way round the walk. It was too foggy earlier to get any pictures worthwhile, a real 'peasouper'. This is one of two places on the walk that is on road, the rest is on the Peak.
The picture below is John Heggie and me on top of Win Hill. This gets steeper every year, and I was blowing like an old sow on the climb up the back route we take. It did not help that half way up 'shuggy', a former 'tankie' met us with a bucket, yes a bucket, full with a mixture of port, brandy, rum and some other spirit, and shoved a cupfull in your hand! Maybe thats why John and I are smilling! The next picture is my lads on the top of Win Hill at the 'trig' point. They are as fresh as daisies! Tom's even taking a nap!
The next picture is us having come down Win Hill and on our way to the pub, which is about 15 minutes from here, we are moving fast!
The pictures below are, Thomas having the last drop of my 17 year old port from my hip flask waiting for the train to Sheffield at Hope station. Siobhan and Mick on the train to Sheffield, yes it was me with the shakey camera work. And finally John Heggie in his usual position after a drink, asleep!! Tut tut RSM, oop's, sorry, Captain now!
Despite a shakey start to the day, we had a brilliant time. We are looking forward to this years already! Drop me a line if you fancy joining us!!
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happy new year!
Published: Monday, January 1st 2007
I would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year.
Peace on earth, good will to all men.
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merry christmas !
Published: Saturday, December 23rd 2006
I would like to take this opportunity to wish friends, customers and readers of this weblog a merry christmas and a prosperous new year.
" peace on earth and good will to all men "
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europe and other u.s cities
Published: Saturday, December 16th 2006
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A COUPLE MORE REGULAR PLACES TO VISIT WITH MY TAILORING.
I WILL GLADLY ADD A COUPLE MORE CITIES, EITHER IN THE USA OR EUROPE, IF THERE IS ENOUGH INTEREST.
IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE ME TO VISIT A COUNTRY, OR CITY WITH MY TAILORING, PLEASE EMAIL ME.
des@desmerrionbespoketailor.com
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new york and atlanta
Published: Saturday, December 16th 2006
I AM RETURNING TO NEW YORK IN JANUARY, AND I WILL BE VISITING ATLANTA WITH MY TAILORING.
IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE AN APPOINTMENT, EITHER FOR NEW YORK OR ATLANTA, PLEASE EMAIL ME.
I WILL BE STAYING AT THE BENJAMIN IN NEW YORK, AND I SHOULD HAVE A FIRM IDEA FOR ATLANTA SHORTLY.
I CAN BE CONTACTED BY EMAIL, des@desmerrionbespoketailor.com
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a welcome help
Published: Wednesday, December 13th 2006
I AM RETURNING TO NEW YORK AND VISITING ATLANTA IN JANUARY 2007. PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE AN APPOINTMENT.
I AM ALSO IN LONDON ON THE 11TH JANUARY, PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET ME IN LONDON.
I AM WANTING TO USE CLOTH FROM MY LOCAL MERCHANTS, TO ENABLE THIS, I SHALL NOT BE USING THE FITTING ROOMS OF SCABAL WHEN I VISIT LONDON.
My eldest son Sean, is home on leave from the Army and has been a welcome help to me over the last few days.
Sean helped me for a while before deciding he wanted to join the Army and was pretty good at the tailoring. He was and still is a quick learner and definitely has the tailors eye.
I have a lot on at the moment so it has been a massive help having Sean working with me and surprisingly, Sean has not forgotten anything I taught him from over two years ago. I have been able to task him a job and leave him to it.
I have had quite a few alterations in from clients that have.......er, put weight on!.
The festive season has brought the dinner suits, best suits and fancy outfits into the open since last year and a few pounds have been gained since worn last year. I have had one in for reducing, all the rest are increases.
Mind what can I say, I have put a good few pounds on myself!!!.
As well as all these alterations I also have cutting, fitting and making to contend with and most of this cutting and fitting is required before Christmas.
I have had Sean on most things helping me. I taught him a bit of everything when he worked with me as I firmly believe anyone that you train should be able to cut and make the whole garment and be making it through, not giving it to out workers.
His needle skills are good so he has been doing a bit of finishing on jacket linings for me and trouser pockets etc.
The above picture shows Sean felling the linings back around the armholes of a jacket we have let out.
We removed the sleeves completely and let the side seams out including the chest, on both the cloth and the lining, then let the sleeves out including the lining again.
The sleeves are then re-basted back into the jacket checking the hang and look of the sleeves before I stitch them permanently back in to the jacket.
These are big alterations to say the least, and we have had quite a few of them!
The picture above is Sean hand felling the pocket bag to the pocket facing on a pair of trousers, and also doing the hand stitching on the outside of the pocket mouth. Because Sean has been helping me, I have had to 'feed' him his work, that is, make sure he has something at the same time as me, so he is not standing around waiting for me to finish my particular job.
Because of this, I have had to really get stuck in and work fast and also push him along at a fairly brisk pace to keep the momentum, but never compromise the quality, that is number one always.
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